Last Aug. 17, Franco Torrescano De La Torre began high school soccer tryouts knowing his varsity chances depended more on legal battles than foot skills.
The child of divorced parents, he enrolled at Cretin-Derham Hall as a freshman, then moved to live with his father in Mexico for his sophomore year. He re-enrolled at the school last summer, but the Minnesota State High School League ruled him ineligible to play varsity because it was his second transfer.
On that first day of practice, his family asked the high school league for a hearing to have his case reconsidered. The league denied the request but later acquiesced after his family contacted a state legislator who subsequently contacted the league's executive director.
Torrescano played on the junior varsity and watched the Raiders' varsity from the sidelines for almost two months.
One day before the Raiders' first playoff game, an independent hearing officer retained by the high school league upheld the league's ruling that Torrescano could not play varsity until his senior year.
The family retained a lawyer and filed suit in federal court.
In February — seven months after the family began its battle — the league's board voted to restore Torrescano's eligibility for the rest of the school year. Small consolation for a soccer player whose junior season was already lost.
The family is continuing to press its lawsuit, seeking to ensure that other high school student-athletes cannot be hurt in similar fashion.